


Yu-Gi-Oh! Infinity - Book 1

by Zalkabot01



Series: Yu-Gi-Oh! Infinity [1]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-18 21:35:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29615763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zalkabot01/pseuds/Zalkabot01
Summary: Not sure if anyone will enjoy this or if it even belongs on here but may as well try...Yuda Kuro’s life sucks, school is tough, his parents are controlling and his best friend and sister Luna Kuro has disappeared. No-one knows where she went and no-one cares, except Yuda. Soon however, a clue to her whereabouts in the form of her dueling cards pop up, used by a man named Saxon Lithman, soon-to-be mayor of Stone City. Urged by his friends Volt and Nina, Yuda travels to Stone City to meet with Saxon, and ends up entering a Duel Monster tournament taking place in the city, with the prize being a confrontation with the man himself. Also entering this tournament is a mysterious man named Borelas, who may know about Yuda’s sister. During the tournament, the three friends go their separate ways, meet lots of different people, and involve themselves in different issues.
Series: Yu-Gi-Oh! Infinity [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2176242
Kudos: 1





	1. Episode 1

Slowly the sun rose, shining it's light on the golden hills of Appleda. Not that the sun mattered; with solid black blinds, no light entered the bedroom of Yuda Kuro. That was just the way he liked it, since it meant he could sleep peacefully in all-encompassing darkness. The last bedroom he owned - which was only a few metres away from his current location - had awkward blinds that didn't fully fill out the window, so every morning it felt like light would beam directly into his eyes, forcing him awake. Since it was a weekday however, the sun wasn't the only method of waking him up.

"Yuda! It's half 7, time to get up!" Was the call which dragged Yuda from his preferred state. He reluctantly opened his eyes and surveyed the room. Luckily, despite his parents' incessant need to regiment his life, they hadn't made a habit of bursting into his room every morning to cast open his blinds and force the sunlight in, this allowed him some semblance of privacy in the mornings. Like a zombie, Yuda crawled out of his bed and opened his blinds just a little, so he could actually see what he was doing. Well, at least partially see. Everything was a little blurry for Yuda, and the reason why became apparent rather quickly.

Yuda glided ungracefully past his desk, deliberately ignoring the pair of glasses perched awkwardly on a lamp. He adamantly refused to wear those large and blocky glasses, since it didn't mesh well with the rest of his attire. It's not like he needed to wear them anyway; he wasn't completely blind, things were only slightly blurry; and only when at a medium or long range. It's been roughly four years since Yuda settled on his style, and since then he'd learnt to live without wearing his glasses.

Yuda, with the same amount of enthusiasm, opened his closet doors. There was a delicate duality inside his wardrobe. One half was messily stuffed with black clothing - band T-Shirts, ripped jeans - the kind of things he actually enjoyed wearing. The other half was packed neatly with clothes his parents wanted him to wear. Nice shirts, trousers and worst of all; a school uniform. He was pretty sure that in most towns and cities, 17 year olds like him were allowed to wear whatever they wanted when attending the higher levels of education. Not in Appleda. The town is so small and cut off from the rest of the world that all of the children were packed into a single institution. Yuda had to share his education with 4 to 18 year-olds for his entire life so far.

Breaking out of his quick brooding session, Yuda took a uniform from his wardrobe and got dressed. Now that he was somewhat decent, it was finally time to allow the sun into his room. Yuda quickly opened the blind, only slightly recoiling when the light hit his spotted face. He looked at the time, he still had a while before he had to be at the school gates. Any normal child would spend this precious free time doing something fun. But alas, Yuda had a schedule to keep. With all the business in his room done, he walked through the door, entering the 1st floor hallway. He continued down this hallway to get to the staircase, but stopped when he reached another door.

To anyone not in the Kuro family, this was only a door. Hell, at this point it seemed that to Yuda's parents it was only a door as well. But not to Yuda. Well, truth be told the door itself wasn't important but rather what was behind it. It was, obviously, a room. This room was once full of life but now stands empty. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you looked at it, Yuda didn't have time to reflect. He simply shook his head and made his way downstairs. Compared to the eerie quiet of upstairs, the scene in the dining room Yuda entered was chaotic. His parents bounced up and down the room messing with miscellaneous items. Once or twice they dipped into the kitchen to grab something to eat. Finally his mother Kiko hurriedly donned a fluffy coat and charged out of the front door, without so much of a glance in Yuda's direction. Same as usual really, it was probably his fault for being too quiet. That's what she would say if she was still here.

His dad James on the other hand, actually bothered to pay attention to their child, not that that was a good thing. "It's about time son!" He said in a pseudo-angry voice. He wasn't the best actor. Before Yuda could respond he had left for the kitchen.

"Let's see... Monday. That means Muesli!" James called out jovially. Not offering the breakfast, but almost demanding it. From where Yuda was, he could see his dad open a drawer. Inside were seven different and distinct boxes of cereal; corresponding to every day of the week. A healthy and balanced diet is the most important thing in the world! That's what James read one fateful day and naturally he took that to the most extreme conclusion he could. It really sucked to have a father so enthusiastic about everything.

"Why are you just stood there? You don't have time to lull around, sit down!" James verbally pushed Yuda to the table. All he could do now was sit down and wait for his dad to deliver the 'meal' if you could call it that.

"So? What subjects are you learning today?" James asked eagerly as he brought the cereal in.

"I don't know dad." Yuda grumbled.

"What do you mean you don't know? Didn't your teacher tell you what to prepare for? Didn't you have any homework? Did you not do your homework this weekend?" Yuda had just woken up no more than 15 minutes ago and already he was bombarded with meaningless questions. Instead of indulging his father's curiosity, Yuda opted to silently chew on his food. Unable to get another word out of his son, James rather dramatically rolled his eyes and shrugged before returning to the kitchen.

It was a painful experience, but Yuda was able to finish his food. Like clockwork, he got up from the table as his dad swooped in and carried the empty bowl off to the kitchen. Yuda quickly returned upstairs to finish his morning routine - cleaning his teeth and spraying deodorant in all the important areas. He brushed his jet black hair to one side, ensuring that two long strands stuck out in front, and looked in the mirror. For the first time this morning he cracked a little smile. His freshly brushed teeth sparking in contrast to the rest of his face.

With his looked completed to the best of his ability, and his routine finished, Yuda made one final stop to his bedroom, once again passing that door. This time he didn't even bother to stop and glance at it, it's not as if staring would solve anything. He couldn't just magically wish for things to return to the way they used to be. Instead he had no choice but to continue living as if nothing had ever happened. He collected his school things from his bedroom and finally made his way to the front door.

"Wait!" James yelled from inside the house, just as Yuda had his hand on the doorknob. He didn't turn to face his dad, as he rushed into the hallway.

"Remember the rules!" James said.

"Head straight to school, don't skip class, and walk straight back when I'm done." Yuda called back, the same way as every other morning, the monotonous mantra filled the air once again.

"Well done son! Now we can crack on with your homework together when you get back!" James said, still carrying that overjoyed tone in his voice. With no response from Yuda, James slumped onto the stairs, finally defeated. Yuda didn't turn around to notice the facade break, not that his would particularly care anyway. With nothing left to say between them, Yuda opened the front door and stepped out in the fresh morning air.

As soon as Yuda left the house, the cool breeze hit his face. The Kuro household was perched on one of the tallest hills in the village. So even on sunny days it was still relatively cold in the mornings. Yuda didn't mind the cold, obviously at this stage of his life he was used to it. It took precisely ten seconds for Yuda to disobey his father, instead of walking straight down the path towards the school, he moved to an outlook just in front of his house. From the hill he stood on, he could see the entire town stretched out before him.

Appleda was what you would expect from an ancient farming village, a small number of deteriorating roads separating a few hills. Plenty of nice-looking houses found themselves perched on these hills, cut off from each other. The rest of the space was taken up by farmland. Apart from the always busy farmers, including his mother, the village was practically a ghost town. Here you either worked outside, or you worked inside. There was nothing else you could do. Stretching beyond the boundaries of the village sat seemingly endless plains, and a few more hills, and in the far horizon, you could just make out a few tall buildings that dominate the skyline of the next closest city. Yuda couldn't help but sigh as he gazed over the empty fields. His future was looking as bleak as ever.

Yuda's train of thought was immediately silenced as he was hit by a large object. This caused him to tumble heavily onto the floor. "Ow, what the fuck?" He cried out. He turned his neck to see what hit him, and it turned out it wasn't an object at all. It was actually a human being, and Yuda recognized the spiky yellow hair in the shape of a thunderbolt right away.

"Volt? Why the hell did you do that?" Yuda yelled, before cracking a smile since he already knew the answer.

"Because you were fucking there?" Volt responded. "Just standing around like a proper dickhead. Probably brooding or some shit."

"Y-Yeah so? Let me brood in peace?"

"Nah fuck that! We don't have time anyway, school starts in like five minutes."

"Since when did you give a shit about getting to school on time?"

"Oh I don't... but well, after everything that happened in the past couple of weeks, I just thought the least I could do was get you to school on time. You know, so you don't get any more attention. That puts way too much fucking pressure on you." Volt explained.

"I'm fine, honestly." Yuda shook his head.

"Bullshit, you ain't ever fine. That's what I love about you!" Volt smiled.

"W-Would you let me go now?" Yuda blushed a little before pushing Volt off of him. The two boys then stood back up.

"Alright whatever. Shall we go and collect Nina?" Volt asked.

"Knowing her, she's probably already at school." Yuda replied.

"Yeah that's true... Alright let's get going already!" Volt brushed some dirt off of his school uniform, not like that mattered as the uniform was already tattered and stained. Some of those stains were obviously from food. The others? Well... some things are probably left unanswered. Somehow, despite the uniforms all being the exact same, Volt was able to make it his own.

The two friends finally made their way down the hill. It was a short walk though the village to its only school. Despite Volt's unusual insistence that they make it to school on time. They were still five minutes late. By the time they reached the school, the front gate was closed tight and the courtyard was empty. "Well shit, now what are we gonna do?" Yuda said dryly.

"Do you even need to fucking ask?" Volt responded, before making a leap at the gate, he was able to grab at the top and cling on.

"Volt, we've been through this before you can't climb over the gate! Let's just skip school today" Yuda said.

"And make things worse? I don't think so! I can make it just give me a hand!" Volt said, clearly struggling.

"Seriously? Why do you care so much about making it into school?"

"Never mind that, c-could you help?" Volt asked. Yuda shook his head and tried to help his friend over the gate. Volt couldn't make it across however, and fell off instead. He crashed into Yuda, and the two fell to the floor once again.

"Ow, Fuck! I told you this was a bad idea!" Yuda cried out. The two boys were too busy trying to untangle themselves that they didn't notice the gate open. A tall and orderly looking man in a snazzy, yet old suit appeared.

"Yuda Kuro and Volikev Grom. Why am I not surprised that it's you two who are making all that noise?" The man asked.

"Oh, Principal Gray... Hi." Yuda replied sheepishly.

"Do I even need to say how much trouble you two are in?" The Principal said.

"Hey! We aren't that late. If this fucking school didn't shut dead at 9 we wouldn't have a fucking problem!" Volt muttered just loud enough for Yuda to catch.

"Volt dude! What did you say about not making things worse!" Yuda gave him a nudge.

"Nah dude, I can't let this prick get away with this." Volt responded.

"I can still hear you Mr. Grom. Another outburst like that and I'll have you expelled."

"Bitch please, we're leaving in a few months anyway so that ain't much of a threat." Volt smiled.

"Hmm. Fine, well I think detention while you're still here will do just nicely. Now get to class." Principal said sternly, before leaving the boys alone. Disgruntled, they entered the school. At this point, they went their separate ways, and entered two different classrooms. And so Yuda's usual boring day began. The only real difference is that when the final school bell rang, instead of filing out of the gates with everyone else, Yuda found himself alone in a classroom, doing nothing for the next half an hour. Apparently this was supposed to make him learn a lesson, whatever the hell that lesson was supposed to be.

"Hey dude!" came a voice near the door. Yuda turned around and saw Volt enter the room.

"How was your day?" Volt said, in an oddly calm tone. Yuda simply shook his head in confusion.

"I was only asking,"

"Listen Volt, I know that you're looking out for me but this just feels weird. Can you go back to your usual self now?" Yuda asked.

"Well, if you insist." Volt shrugged, before sitting down on a chair. It wasn't long before he started rocking back and forth on the chair. Sitting still was never his strong point.

"Ugh, what the fuck? Are they seriously gonna have us sit here and do nothing? Shouldn't we be getting spanked or something?" He complained.

"I don't think that's allowed anymore." Yuda said.

"That's a fucking shame." Volt muttered disappointed.

"Hey guys," Came another voice. The two boys turned to the door. In the doorway stood Nina Garrah. She had her arms crossed over her immaculate school uniform, and her expression screamed disappointment, but not surprise.

"Oh, hey Nina!" Yuda smiled.

"Don't tell me, you got in trouble too?" Volt's eyes lit up. Nina's expression didn't change.

"Of course not. I heard about you two getting detention, I thought I'd pop by and say hello." She explained. Volt slumped back into his chair.

"Oh right, come to gawk at us, and say how much better you are just because you follow the shitty rules?" He sulked. Nina ignored Volt's attempt at a serious remark, and he cracked a little smile. Instead, she walked up to Yuda.

"Hey listen, I hope you aren't in here because of... well, you know."

"No no, we're just here because we were a little late and the principal's a dick." Yuda said.

"Right right, I was just checking."

"Christ, first Volt and now you? I'm fine, I'll keep saying it. I'm fine!" Yuda rolled his eyes.

"I'm just making sure. That's kinda what friends do." Nina explained. Yuda sighed in response.

"Yeah, I know. Thank you both really. But I'm going to be fine.

"Well if you ever decide you're not fine. You can just say, you know?" Volt chimed in.

"Yeah, we... well Volt might not know what to do, but we'll try alright?" Nina chucked.

"H-hey!"

"Yeah, of course. Thanks." Yuda smiled.

"In that case, I'll leave you both here. Try not to be late again." She said.

"Try not to be late again? Hey it's not our fault if the principal wants to be a dick, that's his problem not ours." Volt rolled his eyes.

"Of course, you have absolutely no problems to work through at all." Nina said before leaving the room.

"Granted I was joking, but she really does like to point out how much better she is." Volt said.

"It's not her fault you make it so easy." Yuda snarked back.

"Oh, well thanks... dick."

"C'mon you walked right into that one!"

"Yeah, well you walked into this!" Volt cried out as he leapt at Yuda once again. For the third time today, the two boys found themselves tangled together, and for the second time, they were too busy caught up in their human ball to notice Principal Gray in the vicinity. At least, not until he made his appearance known with a hearty cough, Yuda and Volt strained to look up at him.

"Do you two ever spend any time apart?" Gray wondered.

"Nah, fuck that!" Volt scoffed, before kissing Yuda on the cheek, causing the poor boy to blush again.

"Must you be so crude?" Gray asked. Volt immediately untangled himself from Yuda and stood straight up, staring Gray in the eyes.

"You trying to say I act gay just to shock people?" He said completely seriously. Gray sighed.

"That wasn't what I meant Mr. Grom. We are fully aware that your bisexual identity is real and valid." Gray said, reciting words he no doubt read of a 'help card.' He then turned to Yuda, obviously uncomfortable about the subject.

"Listen Mr Kuro. I really don't want to keep you here." He said.

"Ha, could have fooled me." Volt said. Gray gave him a quick look, and rather reluctantly, Volt turned his head and kept quiet. Yuda sighed, now he was gonna get a speech from the principal about everything. At least with his friends he knew their concern was genuine.

"Mr. Kuro, I only want what's best for you, and your friend here. I understand you have a lot on your mind right now, but I don't want it to affect your school life. You'll be graduating in only a few months, have you started thinking about your plans for the future?" Yuda didn't give that question an answer, which in itself was an answer.

"Now, speaking unprofessionally here, your friend is a lost cause but you? If you get your act together, I know you could really achieve something in your life. So I'll let you both go now, but promise your think about it?" Yuda shrugged, but realizing that Gray could stand there and keep him for hours, he acquiesced and gave a nod. Gray smiled and gave Yuda an unwanted pat on the shoulder, before leaving the room. Volt flipped him off on his way out.

"Lost cause my ass, fucking dick." He frowned.

"Well what are your plans for the future?" Yuda quizzed.

"What do you think? Non-stop partying baby!" Volt laughed out loud, not bothering to think about consequences for a second. "Now let's get the fuck out of this shithole." Yuda nodded in agreement, and the two left the room. At this stage in the day, the school was pretty much empty, save for a few cleaners, so they were able to quickly leave the school uninterrupted. Fortunately, the gates were open this time around, so there was no repeat of this morning. 

Being early February, the sun was already on its way out by the time the two had left the school grounds. They walked the same route they took in the morning, beginning the climb up the hills. 

"Yo, wanna crash at my place?" Volt asked.

"Can't, dad'll kill... well, he'll thoroughly lecture me for not getting home on time and I'm already late enough as it is. Rain Dance?" As he spoke, Yuda gave a little wink.

"Hell yeah, awesome see you tonight!" Volt exclaimed, completely defeating the point of a secret code. Yuda simply shook his head as Volt took off towards his own house. Alone again, he made his way back up the largest hill to his home. By the time he got to the top, the sun had set, casting the whole village in moonlight. Yuda looked out from the outlook. Now that the farmers had all gone in for the night, it really was a ghost town.

Yuda looked out further once again. Now that the sun was gone and the sky was black, he could see lights on the horizon. Lights which belonged to the skyscrapers he made out in the morning. The tall buildings of Stone City. Yuda sighed again, he had only been to Stone City once or twice throughout his entire life. From what he could gather it seemed like the perfect place for him. It would be a place where he could just exist, without people nagging or pushing him to do or to be something.

He shook his head; it wasn't long now. Soon he'll turn 18, and finish school. Then, he'll move to Stone City, and he could finally make something of his life... Oh who was he kidding? He was gonna fail his final exams, and be stuck at home forever. Nina and Volt would leave him, everybody always does, and he'll have nothing left to live for...

He shook his head, a little harder this time, as if to get those thoughts out. He turned back to face his home. He quickly opened the door and went inside, half expecting his father to be stood right there waiting, eager to give one of his lectures. On the other side of the door he was met with silence however. He could hear his parents murmuring in the kitchen but he didn't pay attention. He walked up the stairs straight to his room.

In his private space, Yuda changed out of his school uniform and spent the rest of the evening lying on his bed, as he was known to do, just listening to music and letting the hours tick by. He only stopped once to grab some food when he felt hungry. He didn't talk to his parents once after getting home; it seems at this point they had just stopped trying. Soon enough, Yuda noticed the hallway lights go out. Assuming his parents had finally gone to sleep, he waited another hour just to make sure they wouldn't hear him.

Finally, the coast was clear. Yuda took out a jacket from his wardrobe, and made his way to the window. He opened it to let the cold February evening into his bedroom. As quietly as possible, he escaped through the window. Using his special technique, he was able to shut the window just enough so that he would be able to open it up from this side. He then jumped down and landed on the ground. Luckily his room wasn't too far from the grassy floor.

With the moon high up in the night sky. Yuda made his way over to Volt's house. It was one of the houses in the middle of the village height-wise, close to but not exactly on a hill. It didn't take him long to reach it, and once he did he made his way to the front door. Unlike his home, which he had to sneak out of, Volt's parents were relaxed, even about late-night visitors. They spent most of their time in the back of the house. Because of this Yuda was able to just knock on the door.

After about five minutes, the door finally opened. Obviously Volt was on the other side, in a bright yellow dressing gown. "Yuda, dude you made it. C'mon in." He smiled. Yuda did as suggested, and the two boys made their way up the stairs. Volt's bedroom was the closest to the stairway. As soon as Yuda opened the door, he was greeted by the smell. For any normal human being, the smell of dirty laundry, half-eaten food and the slightest hint of weed would completely overpower them, but Yuda was used to it by now.

Once inside, Yuda maneuvered his way around the various bits and bobs dotted around Volt's floor, including a large number of school uniforms. He finally made it to the bed on the other side of the room. Yuda took of his jacket and jumped onto the bed. Volt disrobed, leaving him in only his underwear, before joining Yuda.

"You know, if you opened the window once in a while, let in some natural air, it wouldn't be so hot all the time." Yuda complained.

"Nah fuck that, I'm happy like this." Volt smiled.

Yuda had no response. "So what have you got for me?" He wondered.

"Well I managed to catch and record the final of this important tournament, Principal Dick almost made me miss it." Volt replied.

"Ah awesome, what do you mean important?"

"Well, whoever wins this one, gets a one way ticket to the the Grand World Championship, you know, the really big one two years from now?"

"Oh yeah, the prize is like the equivalent of one billion dollars right?"

"Hell yeah, the sort of shit that would set you up for life." Volt smiled eagerly.

"How the hell do you expect to win that, if your stuck here forever?"

"Hey fuck you, I'll work something out."

"Anyway, put it on then. Who made it to the finals?" Yuda asked.

"Hell if I know."

"Didn't you watch the tournament?"

"Didn't have time." Volt shrugged. He grabbed the remote and turned on the TV that was on the other side of the room. Volt did some flicking and soon the recording was on. Volt placed the remote down and moved to the back of the bed. Yuda then snuggled beside him. As the start of the show played, Yuda felt the thoughts from before creep back into his head.

"Volt?"

"Yeah dude?"

"You aren't gonna... leave me are you?"

"Nah Fuck that, you're stuck with me forever bitch." Volt responded. Anyone else would have been uncomfortable, or even terrified of a remark like that, but with Yuda, it provided him with a sense of security. Despite everything, as long as he had Volt and Nina, things might not be so bad.

The two guys settled in the watch the program. The two finalists were announced. One was a guy named Saxon Lithman, the other a woman named Daisy.

"Saxon... doesn't that name sound familiar to you?" Volt asked.

"Now that you mention it... I think his dad is in charge of Stone City." Yuda replied.

"Huh, didn't think he was a nerd. Well he sure as hell doesn't need the prize money, son of the richest fucker in the area." Volt scoffed.

"I wonder how good he is." Yuda said. On the screen the two finalists took their positions in the crowded and roaring stadium. They stood opposite each other and attached their 'Duel Disks' - compact devices fitted with holographic technology - to their non-dominant hands. The whole stadium went quiet, as the announcer declared the beginning of the duel. Yuda, sitting comfortably under Volt's arm, was completely unaware of what was about to happen.

It was Saxon who took the first turn. He called out just a single monster. A single monster - in a game filled with thousands - that everyone saw as just another monster, everyone except Yuda.

"E-Magician Pyromancer takes the field!" The announcer called out. Pyromancer, one of many E-Magicians, all of which belonged to a single person.

"Holy shit!" Yuda leapt from his position to the front of the bed, pushing Volt aside accidentally, causing him to tumble off of the bed.

"O-ow, what the fuck?" Volt exclaimed, before scrambling to rest his arms on the side of the bed. "What was that?"

"That monster!" Yuda pointed to the screen.

"What about it?"

"He can't have that card, it belongs to one person only!"

"Who?"

"It belongs to Luna! It's belongs to my sister!"

"Shit..." Volt muttered. The two watched the duel intensely, though not for the normal reason. Sure enough, every card Saxon played, every Monster, Spell and Trap he used, Yuda had seen before. Every single one was used by Luna Kuro, whenever she dueled.

"Wait, so if this guy is using all of your sister's cards..." Volt started.

"Then he has to know something about her disappearance... Hell, he might even have something to do with it." Yuda finished...


	2. Episode 2

Saxon Lithman turned away from his defeated opponent. He smiled and waved at the cheering crowd. "At last, we have our winner folks!" The announcer piped up. "Son of Roger Lithman and heir to Stone City; Saxon Lithman!" The crowd erupted once more. Saxon soaked it all up. He had been playing this game for most of his life; but now it was actually getting him somewhere. It was odd but satisfying knowing that all that work was finally paying off.

The announcer continued. "Saxon has been the underdog of this tournament, never quite matching the heavy hitters, but when he surprised us all with a new deck and completely new and powerful strategies, it became no surprise he would make it this far and win! Now we'll be watching with great interest as he participates in the Grand World Championship, for a chance to win One Billion Dollars!" The crowd erupted for one final time, as Saxon took a bow and left the stadium arena.

In the corridor leading to the arena stood Evelyn Stedi; Saxon's personal secretary. She smiled warmly as he approached her. "Congratulations Mr. Lithman." She said gleefully.

"Thank you very much Ms. Stedi." He smiled back. "This new deck worked like a charm."

"If I may be so bold, you certainly wore it well."

"Thank you! Now I believe a celebration is in order. How about I treat you to a drink?" He asked. Evelyn's face went a little rosy.

"Oh, no I couldn't, not at work." She shook her head.

"I'd say you can clock out now. I won't need anything else today."

"Oh? Well... alright then why not!"

"Brilliant! Now I spotted a lovely cafe on the way here, we could stop by there and..." Saxon didn't get to finish his sentence before his phone started to ring.

"Hello? Saxon here." 

"It's me." Came a gruff voice on the other end of the line.

"A-Ah... Hello father." Saxon replied. Evelyn noticed the colour in his face drain a little.

"I saw you win that tournament. Good work."

"Oh... you did? Thank you."

"Honestly, I never saw the appeal of that game... but now you can enter that Championship; you can win that 1 billion dollars."

"Yes of course." Saxon replied.

"Maybe then you'll make a name for yourself, instead of piggybacking off of my fame." Rodger growled.

"Yes father." Saxon took those words to heart.

"Now, this man contacted me, I'm putting him through to you."

"Ah, okay." Before Saxon could say another word to his father, he had put down the phone. Instead, another voice came through the speaker.

"Hello, is that Saxon?" The other voice, which was much higher pitched, asked.

"Yeah, and this is?"

"Max, Max Mythra it is a pleasure to finally talk with you!" The voice exploded with excitement.

"Oh, no the pleasure is all mine. What can I do for you?"

"Well in case you didn't already know, I'm the founder and owner of the Mythra Corporation. We are the the best managerial agency for duelists across the world. And my subordinates have assured me that after that tournament win you will become a household name. And I feel that we should capitalize that!"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I believe you should tour your local area; and invite people from all across that area to duel you in exhibition matches. This will not only be a great way for you to meet your new fans, but it'll allow my agency to scout the next generation of talented duelists!"

"I see... that does sound interesting!" Saxon smiled.

"Perfect! I knew you'd agree. Now we start tonight!"

"Wait, what?"

"Oh absolutely, there is no time like the present. Now, please come to the Mythra Corporation HQ, there is a helicopter waiting just outside for you."

"I... see... alright then,"

"Perfect, speak to Janet my sister and business partner. You won't be able to miss her!"

"Okay, will do. See you shortly then." Saxon put the phone down and sighed.

"Is everything alright Mr. Lithman?"

"Unfortunately, we will have to postpone that drink. My father has so generously set up another opportunity for me. There's a helicopter waiting outside."

"Oh... I see. Okay then. Evelyn sighed as well, before recomposing herself. "So Mr. Lithman, what is this about?"

"Something about dueling others across the country. I will admit it does sound interesting. I love meeting other up and coming duelists." Saxon replied. Evelyn nodded in agreement, and the two of them finally made their way out of the tunnel. On the other side, the two were suddenly approached by a horde of people with cameras and microphones. Saxon was taken aback; this was the first time a large crowd wanted to speak to him personally. The crowd got closer and closer and Evelyn sighed. She put her broad shoulders to good use, forming a barricade between the paparazzi and Saxon.

"Could you please excuse us? Mr. Lithman is very busy." She said, as she started to carve a path through the crowd. Saxon followed quickly behind.

"Yes, thank you all for coming. It means a lot and I'd love to stay and chat but I have a schedule to keep. I'll try to answer as many questions as I can whenever I get the chance. Saxon yelled out, calming the crowd a little. The door out of the stadium opened, and two men in black suits appeared. They managed to disperse the crowd immediately. 

"Mr. Lithman, there's a woman outside; she says she needs to speak with you." One of these guards said.

"Ah yes, that must be Janet Mythra. Thank you, let's go." The two suits nodded, and led Saxon and Evelyn outside. The stadium, located in the heart of the city of Alpital, opened up into a giant square. In the centre of this square stood a tall statue, and immediately next to this statue stood a woman. She wore a bright blue shirt and a pink skirt, and she was carrying what at first glance looked like a wand. She spotted the group and waved frantically, before running up to Saxon.

"Why hello dear!" She said with the upmost glee. "Mr. Saxon Lithman, ooh you look so much sexier up close! I watched your duel intensely, and I loved it! I tell you, my brother loved it as well! So much that he got in touch with your father as soon as possible!"

"I see... thank you very much." Saxon bowed politely.

"Oh how charming. I might just faint HA HA HA!" Janet bellowed. "Now shall we get to business? We really mustn't keep my bro waiting!" Without warning, Janet started to skip away. Saxon and Evelyn exchanged a glance, before cautiously following her. She led them into a large building. "Luckily, Mr. Haruki Kishimoto, the CEO of Tori-Corp, allowed us to use one of his helipads. My brother is connected like that." Janet boasted. "Now we can go see my bro super fast! Oh Mr. Haruki! Ooh, the sexiest men are also the most helpful HA HA HA! Hurry up let's go!" Janet continued to skip into the building.

The group soon found themselves in the courtyard at the back of the building. There were four helipads, one of which was occupied by a gaudy looking pink helicopter. Standing right beside it was another woman, wearing a pink pilot's uniform, and not looking too pleased about the situation. Janet skipped over to them. "Oh I must introduce you. Saxon, this is Skyla Kishimoto."

"Ah, I've heard about you, your that superstar pilot right?"

"Yep, It's a pleasure to meet you, Champion." Skyla shook his hand, rather enthusiastically.

"Skyla here will be taking us to my bro's place." Janet revealed, jumping up and down and clapping with excitement.

"Is that so?" Saxon asked, confused as to why he deserved the fanfare.

"Yeah, father said I had no choice." Skyla shrugged.

"Ah, I see..." Saxon nodded.

"Let's stop wasting time!" Janet opened the door to the helicopter and gestured for Saxon to step in. He did as instructed, and Evelyn went to get in beside him. However, Janet pushed her aside and climbed in quickly, stealing the spot next to Saxon. Evelyn shot a look, before shrugging, and she got in the third seat. The two suits climbed in the back of the helicopter, and finally Skyla climbed into the pilot's seat. The helicopter was now packed, and Janet squeezed next to Saxon, much to his discomfort. With everyone ready, Skyla took to the controls, and the helicopter started to fly.

As the sun finally started to set over the mountains, the helicopter flew at rather high speeds towards its destination. Skyla was certainly an expert pilot, travelling fast while still maintain complete control. Saxon attempted to make himself comfortable; but having Janet breathe down his neck certainly didn't help. "So! How does it feel to be a tournament champion?" She asked him.

"Honestly? I'm still processing it." Saxon admitted.

"Ooh I can tell! I mean this time a week ago, you weren't in the dueling scene at all, now you're one of the best! You'll be moving on the Grand World Championship! One Billion Dollars, I wish I had that HA HA!"

"It would be something else." Saxon smiled awkwardly.

"And what would you do with that kind of money?"

"Um, well I haven't actually thought about it really."

"Oh of course, who am I kidding. You're the son of Rodger Lithman! One Billion dollars mean nothing to you right?"

"Well not... uh, well yeah I guess..." Saxon trailed off. The rest of the trip was spent in awkward silence. Soon enough however, the helicopter approached a large mountain. On the side of this mountain, Saxon could make out a complex looking villa.

"Aha! We're here, the Mythra Corporation HQ!" Janet declared.

"That's your HQ? It looks like a resort building?" Evelyn questioned.

"Oh my silly child, we're an advanced and modern company! We don't need large buildings and massive workforces; we do it all online! Now bring us down Skyla!

"Rodger that, Ms. Mythra." Skyla responded dryly, The helicopter closed in on a helipad on the east side of the villa. It soon landed, and the rotors came to a halt. The door then opened. Saxon, Janet, Evelyn and the two guards stepped out of the vehicle. When they were safely cleared of the helicopter, Janet clapped her hands together. A couple of maids appeared, and they approached Saxon; taking his coat and belongings.

"Now, Max will want to speak to you privately, so please do away with your servant here." Janet said.

"Excuse me?" Evelyn scowled.

"Oh, Evelyn isn't my servant or anything like that. She's my most trusted friend, wherever I go, she goes." Saxon perked up.

"Oh? HA HA! That's adorable. I wouldn't get so close to my servants, in case they need to be replaced!"

"I... I see." Saxon gulped, unsure as to what he was getting himself into.

"In any case, my bro would be so angry if he saw someone he didn't want to see. So if anything it is more for her sake." Janet explained.

"Well you can explain to Mr. Mythra that..." Saxon began.

"No, Mr. Lithman. It's fine honestly. I can stay here." Evelyn interrupted.

"Are you sure? I won't let them treat you like this."

"I know." Evelyn smiled, before leaning in. "You know what these kinds of people are like. They always want to get their way. What if you anger them too much? You won't get opportunities like this again." She whispered.

"Are you absolutely sure about this?"

"Of course. Besides, just standing around for a few minutes isn't exactly the greatest sacrifice in the world. You go on now." She said. Saxon acquiesced, before turning to Janet.

"Alright, let's go."

"Perfect, I knew someone of your calibre would understand. Now we really shouldn't keep my bro waiting." Janet skipped in the direction of the main building. Saxon glanced back at Evelyn, who simply smiled. He smiled back, before following Janet into the main building. Once inside; they climbed a set of stairs, leading to Max Mythra's office. The doors opened slowly, and the first thing Saxon noticed was an expansive window covering the back wall. From it, one could see the stars above, and civilization below.

Just in front of the window was a purple desk, and sitting at that desk was a tall man, wearing a purple suit and top-hat. He was playing with another strange wand-like object. He looked up and noticed his two guests. He the leapt up and sprinted towards them.

"Well finally! Saxon Lithman, oh I'm so happy to see you! Max Mythra, but you knew that of course!" Without even waiting or offering his hand; Max grabbed Saxon's hand and forcibly shook it.

"T-Thank you."

"My question is, why you appeared at 5:17PM instead of 5:10PM like I instructed. Was it your fault sis?" Max turned and stared straight at his sister.

"Of course not bro, we just had a little servant issue. You know what happens when we introduce new people into our routines." Janet explained.

"Oh right, yeah I understand, can't do anything about that, so let's drop it already, and get to business!" Max returned to his desk. He then flicked open a sleek-looking laptop and began typing away. Then with the click of his fingers; digital blinds covered the window, blanking the room in darkness, with the exception of a single seat; illuminated by purple lights.

"Well why are you just stood there? Sit down and enjoy the presentation!" Max pointed to the seat. Saxon looked around, and noticed that Janet had slipped out of the room. Wanting to avoid further complaint, he quickly sat down.

"Now my brand new best friend, do you know exactly what we do here?" Max asked.

"Uh, you said something about being a managerial agency?" Saxon responded.

"Ha, of course. Well let me explain further. The Mythra Corporation is hands down the largest dealer in dueling celebrities and after your performance tonight, you've become my latest asset!"

"Uh, asset?"

"Oh did I say that out loud? Silly me, I meant partner of course! Now we want to help you become a household name, and in return you represent our interests! We'll send you off on little adventures; making appearances, greeting the drooling masses, all that sort of stuff. The world will know your name and by extension, know our name! That means duelists will flock to be part of our group. And the more duelists under our cont... under our supervision, the more money everyone makes! You like the sound of that right?"

"Well I..."

"Of course you do! The son of Rodger Lithman, who would you be if you didn't love money am I right? Now the first thing I want you to do is..."

"Hold on! I haven't agreed to anything yet!" Saxon blurted out.

"Oh? Oh oh oh? But you agreed when you sat down right? I just assumed... I mean why wouldn't you agree? You want fame and money right?

"That's not why I entered the tournament! I just wanted to have fun!"

"Fun? Oh please you aren't a child anymore! Come on, you agree right? Why have fun when you can make money?"

"I need some time to think about this!" Saxon said.

"Time? Oh please. Listen here, I don't do time! My world moves way too fast, so you're going to make a decision right now, and you are going to make the right decision. Or don't, turn tail and walk away I couldn't care less. We can move on without you. Another champion will appear. Well go on then! Go!" Max turned hostile. Saxon stared in shock at Max's words. But before he could reply, Max spoke up again.

"You're not leaving? Of course how could you? After all, you've been stuck in your fathers shadow for so long now! This, dueling, is finally something that sets you apart from him. You can become your own man now. Daddy might actually be proud of you for once! You wan't that don't you? Right? Right? Of course! So you'll say yes! Right! Right!" Max slammed his hands on his desk. "RIGHT!!!"

"Yes, I'll do it!" Saxon shouted back, just to end the bombardment.

"Perfect! I knew it! Welcome to the Mythra Corporation! Now as I was saying before I was rudely interrupted by someone in this room, the first thing I want you to do is to scout out new potential assets... I mean partners."

"Right... how exactly?"

"Well I'm glad you asked! Tomorrow, the Mythra Corporation will be issuing an announcement. We'll have you visit all the little towns and cities across the country, You'll have a friendly exhibition duel of sorts against the best duelist that town or city has to offer. We'll be there to watch, and if that duelist catches our attention, we'll go in and say hello! Sounds good right?"

"Yes, I guess that does sound fair."

"Alright, perfect! We'll send you to Ablerut in a few days time, then onto Acelao, then Alvira, then Appleda and so on and so forth."

"Okay."

"I knew that you'd see reason! Well now business is concluded, you can go now. We'll be in touch. Goodbye!" Max clicked his fingers again, and the blind opened up. He stood up from his desk and without another word he stood next to the window, gazing into the evening sky. Awkward silence filled the room, and Saxon took it as his cue to leave. He opened the door, and was met with Janet on the other side.

"So how did it go? You didn't annoy my bro too much did you?" She asked.

"I... well I don't think so."

"Brilliant, that means you have the job! Absolutely stunning, that makes you the sexiest man we own... I mean that we have a partnership with HA HA HA!" She yelled out.

"Uh... Thank you?"

"You know..." Janet's voice changed as she stepped closer to Saxon. His smile disappeared. "You could stay a bit longer, maybe for the night? I've already seen your handsome face... now I wanna see more!" Janet moved very close, and Saxon could feel her breath on his face. He backed up immediately

"Oh! uh, well that's very kind of you but I'm not interested thank you." He said sheepishly. Janet rolled her eyes and took a step back as well.

"Just my luck, the best guys always end up being gay." She muttered.

"W-Well, that's not exactly right." Saxon tried to explain, but Janet had already turned her back to him.

"Just get out of here." She snapped, before leaving the room.

"I don't understand these people..." Saxon murmured to himself, before retracing his steps. He walked down the stairs and out of the main building. Evelyn was still stood next to the helicopter accompanied by the two guards. She smiled at Saxon as he walked towards her.

"Are you alright?" She asked.

"I think so... I mean, I now have my own job as a representative of the Mythra Corporation."

"Aww, that's awesome. Well done."

"Thanks. I kinda made the decision rather rashly, so hopefully that doesn't come back to haunt me later."

"I'm sure you'll use your position to do some good in the world Mr. Lithman."

"Thank you for the confidence. Now, we should be able to get back to Stone City before daylight." Saxon said, he then turned to Skyla, who was looking out over the side of the mountain smoking a cigarette.

"Excuse me, Ms. Kishimoto, do you mind taking us back to Stone City?" He asked. Skyla shrugged, and spoke without facing him.

"Sure, why not?" She said, flicking her cigarette off the side of the mountain. She turned and quickly made her way into the cockpit. Saxon opened the side-door and gestured for Evelyn to get in. He followed her, and was in turn followed by the two guards. With an OK from the passengers, Skyla lifted the helicopter into the sky once again. This time, on her way to Stone City. While the helicopter flew through the night sky, Saxon's phone rang again.

"Hello?"

"It's me again." Came a familiar voice.

"Hello father."

"I just heard from Mr. Mythra. You took the job?"

"Yes."

"Excellent. There may be hope for you yet. I look forward to seeing how well you pull off this professional duelist thing."

"Thank you father. We're on our way back to Stone City now. We'll be with you shortly."

"Good. Keep up the good work. We'll speak tomorrow."

"Yes father." Saxon finished, before hanging up the phone. He breathed a heavy sigh. Today had been a long day, but he felt that the days ahead are going to be much longer. He took his deck out from his pocket and examined it. The brightly coloured magicians shone in the light. He had no idea why he decided to pick up dueling. These cards just spoke to him.

"I don't know where you got these cards Evelyn, but thank you. Without you I'd still be wallowing in misery." He said.

"Oh... uh, yeah no problem." Evelyn said, sweating a little. As the helicopter continued to fly to Stone City, and Saxon's new future.

From his giant window, Max watched the helicopter fade out of view. He then closed the blinds and moved to the desk, picking up his phone. "Janet sis; make sure you get Saxon's contract ready by tomorrow morning. I want him under our control as soon as possible. With him under our wing, followed by any assets we pick up along the way, there will soon be no doubt that the winner of the Grand World Championship will be one of us. The world will cheer our name, and that prize money will be all mine." After receiving conformation from his sister. Max left his office...


	3. Episode 3

The moon had reached it's full height over the structures of Stone City. Deep in the heart of this metropolis stood a derelict apartment building; surrounded by a fence and protected by a prominent 'No Trespassing' sign. To the average passer-by, this block seemed like any other abandoned building. Of course this provided the perfect cover, as the building wasn't abandoned at all.

In one of the many small apartments that made up the eighth floor of this building, a woman lay on a dusty mattress. She stared directly at the ceiling, a look of complete boredom stretched across her face. It was night-time, although it didn't sound like it at all. The various noises of the city; cars racing by, the bustling of pubs and clubs, and the laughter of pedestrians filtered through the thin walls and one window, filling the air of the room. It was a far cry from the complete silence of her previous home.

This woman turned turned her head, and looked at a purple cloak which sat on a small desk. It had been three days since two people wearing similar cloaks had confronted her back when she was trawling the Stone City streets. They had offered her something special, a chance to be part of something great, something more than wandering the streets alone for no reason. Well there was nothing great about being locked in a dusty apartment, without even so much as a shower.

She sat up and shivered. She was wearing a black leather jacket, a white T-Shirt and black jeans, the exact same clothes she had been wearing for the past week. She had also ran out of make-up, so her face was looking a little pale. Her stomach growled, she wasn't being starved per se, but the meals she had been served weren't exactly filling or delicious. She took a deep breath, for as much as this sucked, at least it was something. It was much better than all the things she had to go through in the past.

As she stood up from the bed, she scanned the room. Little did she know that her every move was being recorded by a secret camera, hidden in one of the room's corners. The images and sounds were replayed inside another dark room in another strange building. It was replayed on one of fifteen monitors, all of which overseen by two people wearing similar purple cloaks. On a wall inside this room was a clock, and after a few minutes; it finally hit 1AM.

The click of the minute hand hitting the top of the clock was in harmony with the doors to the room opening. A man stood in the doorway, he had blond hair that stood up like a crown at the front, and he wore a green cloak adorned with two roses - one red and one white - on the front. He strode into the room full of confidence. "Good morning gentlemen. It's time. Status report?" He asked the two men.

"Good morning Agent 1" One responded.

"Things are looking good Agent 1. Out of the fifteen potential applicants, only three have failed to remain calm, or have broken down and begged to be released. The rest have performed well." The second responded.

"Hmm, well twelve is a solid number to work with. Besides, the boss will be happy with as many as possible. Send a message to Agent 8; tell him to proceed with the first stage of the initiation process. And, as a side note, do tell him to go easy on them. We need as many hands as possible, so he mustn't scare them all away." Agent 1 explained.

"Yes sir!" The two grunts responded. Agent 1 nodded in approval, before turning around and leaving the room.

The woman sat back on the bed. A part of her wanted to scream, to throw her hands up in the air and beg to be let out. She steeled herself, shaking that feeling away. She hadn't been kidnapped. There was no hostage video, no ransom. No-one had come to demand anything from her. This was a test, she just knew it. If she wanted to be a part of whatever big thing was going to happen, she had to pass this test no matter what.

These thoughts were finally laid to rest when she heard footsteps just outside the room, promptly followed by the jangling of keys in front of the door. She stood back up, and moved closer. She passed the cloak on the desk and walked into the front room of the apartment. The noises had stopped, and then there was a single knock on the door. Obviously whoever was there knew she was in the room, so this must have been an invitation for her to open the door.

Cautiously, she walked to the door and opened it. On the other side stood a large figure, also in a purple cloak matching the one on her desk. The hood was up, concealing all features. The figure stood ominously, towering over her by at least a few inches. "Acolyte 12. It's time." It said.

"Acolyte 12? I have a name you know!" Acolyte 12 smirked.

"Not anymore, not at this stage at least. You gave that up when you applied for this." The figure responded.

"One hell of an application process. Anyway fine, If I'm Acolyte 12 what does that make you?" She wondered.

"I'm nothing more than a messenger, and an escort. Sending you to your next destination." He said.

"Ooh, how cryptic. Well something worth this much effort has to be something special. So where is this destination then?"

"You aren't going just yet. When you leave this room, you leave your life behind. Everything that made you who you are, throw it all away... That means you have to put on your cloak and take your first step into becoming one of us." He explained.

"Right, yeah I get you. Give me a sec then." She closed the door on the messenger, once again leaving her in silence. 12 then walked over to the cloak and took if from the desk. Hiding under this long piece of cloth was her duel disk. It sat empty, she had given her deck away as a 'fee.' At least that's what she thought they said. It didn't matter anyway, she wasn't gonna use it again. She took the disk and put it in her pocket. Since the cloak and disk was all she had on her, she had everything she needed to go.

12 donned the cloak. It was a little too big for her but hey, that was better than being too small. With everything ready, she opened the door again. The messenger was still there, patiently waiting for her. "How do I look?" 12 gave a little twirl. The figure didn't respond. "Fine, be that way. Can we go now?"

"Yes, follow me." He said. He then led her out of the room, leaving the door wide open. They walked down the corridor to the end in silence; and they soon reached a flight of stairs. It was then that 12 noticed another two figures in cloaks walk down those stairs. 12 and the messenger followed soon afterwards. These stairs led straight to the main lobby of the building. Inside this desolate room stood 11 other people, as well as 11 taller hooded messengers.

"I take it I'm the last one then?" 12 said, causing everyone to look in her direction. The 11 other Acolytes frowned at her sternly, and while the messengers faces were concealed, she got the impression that they were giving her the exact same look. "Alright, not big on conversation, I get it. I'll stay quiet." She shrugged. Without another word, the 12 messengers all pointed to a door in the room. It was a maintenance cupboard, at least on the outside. The first Acolyte in line walked over to the door and opened it. On the other side was a ladder, which seemed to go down into the basement.

Sensing what to do. The Acolyte started to climb down, followed by the second and so on and so forth. Not long after, it was 12's turn. She followed suit, turning back to the messengers for one final time. Sure enough they were completely dedicated to their roles; standing around ominously as if they weren't even human. 12 simply continued down the ladder, it was weird yes, but nothing to majorly creepy. If people started to take their clothes off, now that's when she would turn and run away.

Reaching the end of the ladder, 12 put her feet down on solid ground, and turned around. The twelve Acolytes had found themselves in a tunnel. With only a single passageway, it was obvious they didn't need the messengers to guide them anymore. 12 couldn't help but wonder what the hell they would do now that they were out of sight, but it wasn't the most pressing matter right now. Whatever was at the end of this tunnel, hopefully it would explain everything.

After what seemed like a while; the tunnel finally gave way to another large room. At first, it felt like the Acolytes had traveled so far that they left the city, but realistically it was probably much larger than this rather simple underground complex. The darkness, and eerie atmosphere definitely played a large role in amping up the tension. The Acolytes spilled out into this room, and stopped. It only took a few seconds for 12 to see why. Sat on a desk in the middle of the room was another figure, this one wore a cloak different from the others she had seen. It was brown, at least that's what she could guess from the dim light. She could also make out that the collar area had fur around it.

"Well look at you lot." This figure spoke, in a deep, gruff and rather menacing voice. "So I've been told you passed the very first part of the initiation. You all stood around and kept quiet, did as you were told, didn't fuss or complain. Just sat and waited for your next instructions. You stupid pieces of shit." He growled. It took 12 a few seconds to comprehend what was happening.

"Hold on, you're chastising us for something that you made us do?" She couldn't help but ask.

"Did you just mouth off at me?" The figure stood up, and with almost a single bound he moved closer to 12. She didn't flinch, she wasn't gonna let some muscle intimidate her. Although from here she could now see that he was even taller than the messengers were.

"Y-Yeah? So what? You say something stupid, you get made fun of; that's normally how things like that work. You got a problem with that?" The figure leaned in close, and 12 was taken aback by the foul stench of his breath. She could feel the people around her shiver, terrified about what might happen next, but she remained calm.

"Heh, what makes you think I have a problem?" He laughed right in her face, before stepping back, and returning to the desk. 12 had to process the conversation, he was pleased, she guessed.

"Now the good news it, at least you all showed determination; a willingness to keep going, not to give up despite no visible goal in sight. That's something, but it isn't enough. Not if you want to join our organization. We, we are going to change the world! Do any of you idiots know what it takes to do that?" He looked around at everyone, and was met with stunned silence. His cloaked gaze then fixed on 12.

She racked her brain for a moment. "Change the world? Uh... well I guess you need an army? Or a really good speech?" She came up with potential answers. The figure laughed.

"Ha! That's a good one, full of funny lines aren't you?" The figure shook his head. "You need strength! And I'm not just talking about your average everyday strength. I mean the strength to do what needs to be done, to not let anyone stand in your way. To push past all the stubborn pricks that don't want things to change. Think you bitches have the guts to do that?" He questioned. Again the Acolytes remained in silence. It was only natural, they entered this room not knowing anything that was going to happen. Now they're being told that they need to change the whole world.

"Ah, nothing then? Typical, pathetic wimps. Don't worry. Soon we'll sort you all out, between the ones that do and the ones that don't."

"And how are you going to do that?" 12 spoke up again.

"Heh, curious little gnat aren't you? Well I think I can divulge this much information. See, I was waxing some lyrical bullshit about strength, but what we as a group really need is money. Our plans require a large amount of funding, so what we ask is simple. If you wanna climb the ranks of our little group, then you need to donate."

"Wait, you lock us in dingy apartments for three days, stripped us of everything we had in the past; and now you want us to fork over our money?" 12 questioned.

"No you idiot! I'm not talking about loose change! I'm talking about big money! This isn't some quick scam, this is the real thing. Now could you be quiet so I can finally give you some instructions?" The figure roared. 12 had a feeling her remarks were starting to wear on him.

"Right... so what do you want us to do now?" She asked.

"Make your first donation of course! When were done here, you are all going to take to the streets. Do what you need to do, and bring to me at least one thousand dollars, I don't care how you obtain the money, just under no circumstances get caught! If you do, you'll never hear from us again. So there you have it. Bring me one thousand dollars, and I'll take you to the next stage. Oh, and it goes without saying but we really don't have all the time in the world. As soon as the sun starts to rise, the successful acolytes and I will have gone, so I wouldn't waste any time if I were you!" The figure stood up, finishing his instructions.

The Acolytes stood in silence, which was becoming a main theme with them. They took everything in, one thousand dollars by any means necessary. 12 didn't have much time to think about how to achieve this goal as the figure stepped forward.

"Well? What the hell are you waiting for? Go!" He roared ferociously. The Acolytes quickly turned around and all filed into the tunnel, taking them back to the abandoned building. Sure enough the messengers had disappeared, leaving the door to Stone City slightly open. The Acolytes filed out into the open air. Now that they were free, they quickly dispersed into the city to claim their money.

All except 12 who stood still. She felt the fresh air brush against her face for the first time in a while, letting the strange smells of the city flood her nostrils, noticing the bright lights of fancy buildings all around her. She had to think, hard. Just how was she going to magically appear with one grand, all in the space of just a few hours?

12 was so busy thinking about her next move that she didn't notice that another Acolyte had stayed behind as well. That was until this acolyte made themselves known.

"I don't know what kind of game you think your playing. But it won't get you far." They, another woman from what 12 could tell, said.

"Oh, gee I didn't see you there. You're Acolyte...?"

"1. I was the first one they picked! Can't you see they're offering us a chance to change the world! So if I were you, I'd take this a bit more seriously!" She said.

"I don't know where you got this impression that I wasn't taking this seriously!" 12 argued.

"I can just tell, there's this aura about you. You're lost, and desperate, and trying to hide it with humour. You aren't strong enough for this, so I suggest you leave and go back home." 1 hissed, before turning away and leaving.

12 frowned. She wasn't gonna let some upstart pretend that they were better than her. "We'll see who's strong enough, if that even really matters." She muttered under her breath, before she walked out of the alleyway and onto a main street. As 12 could tell from her apartment, even though it was past midnight, Stone City was still as alive as it was during the day. Cars whizzed by on the road, and the street was bustling with people. It seemed that they were way too busy with their own lives to notice 12 walking down the street wearing a purple robe. Or maybe she was just an uninteresting sight. She was definitely used to that feeling.

As 12 walked down the street, she continued to ponder how she was going to deliver the goods. It was obvious what they expected her to do. The only way to grab cash fast was to steal it. Was that really something she could do? Well, a little thieving wasn't the worst crime in the world, at least someone wasn't gonna get hurt. Besides, there had to be plenty of rich assholes in the city she could nick a grand off with no real consequences. The big question was where to find them.

That was the question 12 was stuck with for a while. She even found a giant clock on the side of a building which told her the time. It was already half 6. Being early February, the sun would rise in around less than an hour. She really didn't have a lot of time left. When walking by that building and looking around, 12 noticed another acolyte on the other side of the street. She couldn't tell if it was 1 or not, but she could tell that just liker her, this acolyte was getting desperate. The pace in their step was quick, but without purpose.

It was in that moment, when the acolyte stopped. Trying not to draw too much attention to herself, 12 ducked out of the way, and glanced in the direction the acolyte was looking in. There, she saw a man stumbling down the street completely shit-faced. From the first look, you could tell that he was at least moderately wealthy, a very fine if a little tacky shirt and expensive looking shoes. The man somehow made his way down an alley next to the side of the street.

Cautiously the acolyte looked around, before following the man down that alley. Without thinking, 12 joined in on the pursuit. As she made it into the alley, she noticed that the man had begun to throw up next to a large rubbish bin. She also saw the acolyte creep up next to him. At that point, she noticed that the acolyte had picked up what looked like a pipe or something similar or heavy. She didn't have time to think, she immediately ran towards the figure.

She used the full force of her weight to bump the figure into the side of the bin, just as they were raising their weapon. The impact and noise startled the drunk man, who stood up mid spew, getting vomit down his expensive shirt.

"Argh, what the fuck are you doing?" The acolyte growled, as 12 pinned him to the bin with her shoulders. Luckily it seemed this figure wasn't very strong, so she could keep him in place.

"Don't just stand there! Go!" She yelled at the man, who still wasn't sure what was happening. Eventually he caught on, and managed to half-run, half-stumble out of the alley. The man safely out of harms way, 12 eased her grip a little, which allowed the acolyte to push her off. 12 slipped and fell into a puddle on the other edge of the alley.

"Are you crazy? You have just doomed us both!" The acolyte almost screamed.

"You were gonna kill him!" 12 argued.

"So? We gotta do what it takes right? That's what the big guy said. What the hell is wrong with you?" The acolyte spat. They didn't have any more time to waste arguing with 12, so they instead ran down the alley, leaving her alone. As much as she didn't like to admit it, the acolyte was right. She probably had doomed them both. Maybe what 1 said was right, maybe it was time for her to accept defeat and go home. Maybe she really wasn't strong enough.

As 12 got herself up, she noticed a half torn piece of paper on the ground. She then turned and faced the wall she had been pushed next to. There was a poster, a few actually, about a Tournament, and the finalists. That's not what caught her eye however. The most interesting thing she noticed, was the prize for the winner. An idea then sparked in her head like a light bulb. Fine. She didn't need to be strong enough. All she had to be was smart enough. She brushed the dust off of her cloak, and confidently walked back towards the apartment building. As she walked down the main street, she saw a helicopter fly by overhead moving towards the centre of the city.

It was around ten to seven. The sun could rise any moment now, so hopefully it wasn't too late. She slipped through the partly open gate into the courtyard, and again slipped through the door to the building. It was quiet, too quiet. A little quicker than before, she opened the maintenance room door, climbed down the ladder and walked through the hallway back to the open room. Thankfully, a few acolytes were still standing around, and the brown-cloaked figure still sat on the desk. This time however, there was a respectable pile of cash next to him.

"Well look who decided to show, Acolyte 12. What took you so fucking long?" He said.

"I've just been hatching a plan, that's all." 12 responded. She had no idea what would happen next, so she took a deep breath. She had to remain confident, it was the only way to proceed.

"Now, the fact that you showed your face around here, means you've got the money right?" He asked.

"Of course I do."

"Well...? Hand it over!"

"Oh, well I can't, see it's in here." 12 pointed to her head. There was a murmur of shock and confusion between the other acolytes.

"Are you fucking with me right now?" The figure stood up, towering over 12 once again. "You dared to appear here, without bothering to fulfill your mission?" In response, 12 took out a poster she had ripped off the wall.

"Here's your money, have a look at this." She said.

"What about it?"

"Well I saw this and had a thought. Why waste time risking our livelihoods trying to scrounge low levels of cash, when we could gather all we needed in one fell swoop, and do it all legitimately?" She pointed to a small piece of text on the bottom of the poster.

"The Grand World Championship? Oh, that thing with the Billion dollar prize? Yeah nice try, but do you have any idea the level of skill needed to win the largest Dueling Tournament in the world. Plus, it only comes about every fifty years, so if we fail this one shot, we won't get another chance."

"You think I would bring this to you if i didn't? Trust me, with me on your side, this tournament is as good as won. So I would say I brought more than a thousand dollars, I just brought you a billion." She smiled. Her confident facade hiding her real feelings. That was the biggest bluff ever and she had no idea if he'd take it, or if he'd kill her right then and there.

The figure thought for a moment, before laughing out loud. The laugh reverberated around the closed space, the noise piercing 12's ears. "You sure are full of surprises you punk. You think playing this game is gonna get us the money we need? You don't have the strength to deal real work? God, I would fuck you up right now for saying shit like that, and leave you begging for death in the fucking street!" He yelled. 12 braced for the end... but it never came.

"Unfortunately, it's not up to me. Well played kid, you got smarts. I fucking hate it... but my friends admire that sort of shit for some reason. So I think they'll be more than happy to meet you." The figure stepped back, and 12 released the breath she was holding. At that moment, a small set of beeps rang out, seemingly coming from above-ground. 

"Well, time is up. That's our ride. Well done Acolytes 1, 4, 8, 10 and 12. You passed the second stage. Now it's time to show you where our base of operations are. Let's go!" He roared to life, and the five remaining acolytes formed a line behind him. Acolyte 1 turned and stared at 12. Clearly that little stunt didn't do her any favours. She couldn't object to 12's plan though, so she stared in anger. The figure led the group through the tunnel.

"So, now that we passed this test. Mind telling us a bit more?" 12 asked.

"Patience!" The figure bit back.

"At least tell us who you are?" 12 insisted.

"Hmph... as long as you promise to shut the fuck up if I do." He said.

"Uh, yeah no problem." She nodded.

"Fine... you can refer to me as Agent 8, and I work for the Agents of Drago, and we're gonna change the world. Forever!" Agent 8 explained. 12 still didn't really get it, but at least she had something to go on. The Agents of Drago, she had never heard of it before, and she was normally well versed on secret underground movements, and other occult-like things. Maybe it was very new...

"Oh wait, one more thing. Then I'll shut up for good!" She perked up.

"What?"

"Well, when can I have a shower? It's been more than a week already!" She said. Agent 8 clenched his fists, before taking a deep breath.

"For passing the first few tests, and taking those steps towards joining the Agents of Drago, you'll now be treated a little better than simple acolytes. So you'll get your fucking shower when we get home!" He shouted.

"Alright, thanks." 12 said, before shutting up for good. She had narrowly avoided getting beaten to a pulp a few times tonight, she really didn't want to try her luck now. The group soon found themselves above ground, as the first trickles of sunlight appeared around them. While they were talking below, a non-descript van had parked in the alley.

"Right, get in!" Agent 8 growled. The first four acolytes did as they were told, and 12 was just about to follow suit when they were stopped.

"Wait, what the hell?" Came a voice, 12 and Agent 8 turned to see another acolyte holding a wad of cash. 12 could just tell that it was the same one she had stopped earlier. She didn't want to think about how he ended up acquiring that money.

"It's game over you prick, get out of here." Agent 8 growled.

"This isn't fair! How come she's getting on? She screwed me out of getting here earlier!"

"All I'm hearing is that your a weak-ass motherfucker who got his ass kicked because he wasn't fit for the job."

"And she is? She stopped me from doing what it took to win! She's not strong enough for this! C'mon, I've waited my whole life for this moment, you can't cut me out now!"

"Don't you fucking dare tell me what I can and can't do. Now get out of the way, or I'll run you down!" Agent 8 tensed his muscles. 12 could see that the other acolyte wanted to protest, but was too scared. Defeated, they sunk to the side of the alley.

"That's what I thought. Now you, get the fuck onboard!" Agent 8 suddenly turned and shouted at 12, who jumped and hurried into the van. She took a seat next to Acolyte 10, and could feel 1 stare at her coldly from the other side. Agent 8 sat down at the empty driver's seat, and started the van up. The vehicle roared to life and left the alley, and the sullen acolyte behind. They sped through the streets of Stone City; before taking the western highway out. 12 looked out of the van's back window as the towering spires started to get smaller and smaller. She entered the city with nothing, and now - providing everything goes well - she left with everything she needed. This was only the beginning, and she couldn't wait to see what happened next...


	4. Episode 4

Yuda left Volt's house almost as soon as the tournament programme was over. Without saying as much as goodbye; he rushed back to his own home, even leaving his jacket behind. Volt had no reason to follow him, so he went to sleep instead. Yuda ran as fast as he could up the hill towards his house and quickly found himself at his front door. He tried to swing it open dramatically... but it was locked. He then promptly remembered that it was the middle of the night, and his parents were still asleep.

"Ah shit..." He muttered to himself, before making his way back up the wall into his bedroom. Yuda didn't bother to change into his pyjamas, instead opting to quickly hop into bed. Of course, the exciting news he had to share with his family meant he couldn't get to sleep at all. Eventually the sun started to rise again and while it wasn't able to make its way into Yuda's room, today it didn't need to. As soon as he heard that his parents were downstairs, Yuda leapt out of his, raced out of his room and hurried downstairs to join them.

"Y-Yuda?" James turned to look at the entrance of the dining room, surprised that his son was awake at this time. Kiko remained to dedicated to her morning routine to look in his direction.

"Mom, Dad, I know where Luna might be!" Yuda said, smiling. The mention of his sister caused both parents to stop what they were doing and turn to face him.

"What?"

"Well, I was watching a tournament with Volt and-"

"Wait slow down, when did you have time to do that?" Kiko questioned.

"That doesn't matter, the point is the guy who won it, he was using Luna's cards, he was using E-Magicians!" Yuda explained. His parents gave each other a questionable look, before turning back to him.

"Who was this man?" They asked.

"That's the thing, it was Saxon Lithman! I'm sure he lives in Stone City, so that's where Luna has to be! It makes sense; that's the closest city from here. She probably went to Stone City for some reason, and that's when Saxon kidnapped her and stole her things! All we have to do is go over there and confront him! Get the car started and we can go right now!" Yuda turned and ran towards the door, before noticing that his parents weren't following him. He walked back into the dining room.

"Guys? Why are you just standing there, not doing anything?"

"Yuda... I know it's been hard for you to accept. But Luna... she's gone." James replied.

"No! That's not true! Saxon has her deck, he has to know where she is!"

"You don't know that! This could all just be a coincidence"

"A coincidence? Right yeah, Luna goes missing and a few days later someone from the next city over wins a tournament using her deck? That's not possible!"

"What do you expect to do if you met him?" They asked.

"Well, demand to know what he did with Luna obviously!" Yuda said. James sighed, before walking up to him and placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Listen son. I know you want to believe Luna's out there, we do too! But you have to face the truth... She's gone and is never coming back. We have to live with that, don't you know how much that hurts us?" He tried to explain. Yuda scowled, and forced his father's hand off of him.

"Bullshit! You don't give a shit about her; if you didn't you wouldn't have stopped looking for her the day after she fucking disappeared!" He snapped.

"Don't you dare take that tone with me, Yuda Kuro!" James put his foot down.

"Fuck you!" Yuda spat, before turning away. Before his parents could fully react to his outburst, he ran out of the house, slamming the door behind him. He ran over to the outlook, gazing at the horizon of Stone City, a tear in his eye. Soon, he took a deep breath ran down the hill.

He soon passed by Volt's house, who spotted him from out of his window. In a flash, Volt got dressed and raced down to meet him. "Morning bro! What's up?" He asked. That was when he noticed the tears in Yuda's eyes. Without warning, Yuda leapt into Volt's arms, who embraced him. "Yo dude, easy! What the fuck happened?"

"It's my fucking parents! We finally have an idea about where my sister might be, and they don't want to do a fucking thing about it." Yuda practically screamed into Volt's shoulder.

"Easy, it's alright! So you're parents are pieces of shit, what else it new?"

"But what can I do now? I can't just let her disappear forever!"

"Hey, we've still got plenty of time before school. Why don't we head to Nina's house, and we can all think of a plan together?" Volt suggested.

"Y-Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." Yuda said, calming down a little.

"I know right, full of good ideas me." Volt smiled.

"Yeah right!" Yuda gave a little chuckle. Volt ignored his slight, happy that the tears had been wiped away. With Yuda breathing regularly again the two made their way to Nina's house. It was on the far left side of the village, right next to one of the larger swaths of farmland. When they got close, they noticed that Nina's mother Kimaya was already out and about, placing muddy canisters onto a truck. When she noticed the two walking up to the front of the yard, she stopped and smiled.

"Volt, Yuda! Good morning!" She said happily.

"Morning Ms. Garrah!" Volt said back, without a trace of his usual demeanour.

"I must admit, it is a surprise to see you boys up at this time. I don't even thing Nina's up!" She said. Almost directly on que, the window above them opened up.

"Of course I'm awake mum!" Nina's voice called out.

"Ah, touche... Well why don't you boys make yourself at home inside. I imagine you haven't had breakfast yet."

"Heh, you know us way too well." Yuda admitted. Kimaya smiled and gestured for the boys to enter the house. They did as they were told, and walked through the open door. Volt then rushed into the kitchen, he checked all the cabinets, but the only substance that he could call breakfast was a box of muesli. The rest were healthy, he could admit, but nothing he would be caught dead eating. The muesli was good enough.

"You want some of this?" He turned to Yuda.

"Sure!" Yuda nodded. He sat at the kitchen table, and Volt prepared two fresh bowls. He placed them down on the table and sat on the same seat as Yuda, pushing the boy to one side.

"Ow, you dick!" Yuda said, but he couldn't help but laugh. Volt handed him a spoon and the two began to eat. Yuda took things slow and steady, as usual; while Volt wolfed down his meal in a few seconds. By the time the two were done, Nina had gotten dressed into her school uniform, and had joined them in the kitchen.

"So, while I'm not complaining about seeing you guys so early in the morning. But what exactly is the special occasion?" She asked.

"You wanna tell her, or shall I?" Volt said.

"It's fine, I'll do it!" Yuda responded. "Now brace yourself. I might know where Luna is!" Nina was taken aback, and had to sit down.

"Wait seriously? You found like, a letter or something?"

"Well, not exactly. We were watching a programme last night. And this guy, Saxon Lithman; won a Duel Monster Tournament using her cards!"

"Wait, that's all you have to go on?"

"Heh, that's what my parents said..."

"Oh! That's why you're here... You had an argument."

"Bingo."

"Look, his parents weren't gonna bother looking for Luna, so we have to do it ourselves!" Volt concluded.

"Woah, wait a second! You want to go find her yourself?"

"Not just him! We can help as well." Volt said.

"Guys, we're still kids. We can't exactly grab a plane and travel the world!" Nina said.

"That's the thing! We only have to go to Stone City! That's where Saxon lives, so it has to be where Luna is!"

"I see... still, we can't just up and leave, our parents would be worried, and they'll probably come looking for us!"

"Why's that? They weren't worried about Luna!" Yuda scoffed.

"Well, to be fair Luna is in her twenties. I'm just saying, we have to think carefully about this!"

"If we waste time thinking, Luna might actually disappear for good!" Yuda said.

"I know how much you miss her... Alright, if it's possible she's still alive out there somewhere, of course I want to help you find her." Nina smiled.

"Hell yeah! Me too bro!" Volt said.

"Thanks guys, I knew I could count on you." Yuda said, wiping away the last of the tear stains on his face. At that time, Kimaya walked into the kitchen.

"Morning Nina dear. What were you guys chatting about?" She asked. Nina looked at Yuda, who shook his head subtly.

"Oh, nothing important. Just school shi... I mean stuff." Volt perked up.

"Now now Volt. Just because it's related to school doesn't mean it isn't important." She said. Volt shrugged, before nodding. "Well, speaking of school, it's almost time. Hurry up and eat something dear." She continued, patting Nina on the shoulder, before leaving to get back to work. Nina got up and made herself some breakfast. When she was done, she left the room to finish preparing for school.

Finally, with Nina finishing her preparations, the trio left the Garrah household. "Uh, guys. You don't have your school uniforms, or your bags!" Nina reminded them. "Should we double back to Yuda's house?"

"Nah fuck that, he can just borrow one of my outfits!" Volt suggested.

"Uhm, I think I'll be fine. I don't really give a shit about the school regulations at the moment anyway."

"Alright, just... please don't get into even more trouble?" Nina said.

"I'll do my best." Yuda shrugged.

"Well if you're not gonna bother, then neither will I! Solidarity eh?" Volt said.

"Brill, thanks dude." Yuda and Volt fist bumped, while Nina simply rolled her eyes. With at least the foundations of some kind of plan forming in their minds, the three friends made their way to school. A stark contrast to yesterday, the school gates were wide open and the yard was bustling with kids of various ages, all separated into their own little groups. After the three entered this yard, Volt started to look around.

"Right, I'll see you guys later! Let me know if anything happens today, k?" He said.

"Alright, see ya!" Yuda smiled.

"Awesome!" Volt replied, before rushing off to meet with another group of kids, who all shared similar a similar style to him.

"Ah, that reminds me, I have a meeting with my Dragon Ninja group, I catch up with you later, alright?" Nina said.

"Yeah sure!" Yuda nodded. Nina responded with a reassuring smile, before heading off in the opposite direction to Volt, once again leaving Yuda on his own. With no-one else to meet and nothing else to do; Yuda headed inside the main building of the school. After deftly dodging a few small kids running around the corner he found himself in a deathly quiet corridor. He almost made it to the end, before a voice called out.

"Hey, you!" The voice called. Yuda stopped in his tracks and sighed, recognizing the voice immediately. He turned around and saw a taller guy, wearing an immaculate school uniform, complete with a badge denoting some kind of authority. This boy straightened his tie - even though it was already perfectly straight - brushed his shoulders, even though they were completely clean, and walked up to Yuda.

"Hey Martin, what do you want?" Yuda grumbled.

"What do I want? Well I wanted to know why the F-word did you come to school without your inform, Mr. Yuda Kuro?" Martin questioned, pressing his finger right into Yuda's face.

"It's none of your fucking business, now leave me alone." Yuda tried to turn away, but Martin held him in place.

"You will answer my question, I insist." Martin said.

"I don't have to do a thing!"

"Ugh, why must your kind be so difficult?" Martin sighed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yuda scowled.

"You seem to think that just because you've had it rough, or things have gone wrong in your life, you can do whatever the H-word you like. But news flash Mr. Yuda Kuro, you can't because life has rules. And everyone must follow them!" Martin explained.

"Yeah? And why are you so dead set on following these dumb-ass rules anyway? The principal isn't gonna fuck you just because you suck up to him. Or do you just jerk off to all the praise he gives you?" Yuda smirked. Martin simply smiled and shook his head in response.

"Your crude remarks have no effect on me Mr. Yuda Kuro. Now I would ever so gladly report you for your misconduct, and have you fleeing this school with your tail between your legs... but I understand that you're only lashing out because of the grief you feel over your recently deceased sister. Therefore, I see it fit to let you off with a very stern warning." Martin gave the most insincere smile he possibly could. "So please, try to come to school with your uniform; Mr. Yuda Kuro." Martin then turned and walked away. Yuda flipped him off once his back was turned.

"I told you, it has no effect on me. Honestly, for someone turning 18 in less than a year you really are so childish." Martin let out a snicker, aware of what Yuda was doing, but seemingly unaware that he was a child as well, before leaving the corridor. Just a few short seconds after the conversation, the first bell of the day rang out, calling all students to head to the main hall for assembly. Yuda decided to follow the rules this time, and made his way to the hall. Luckily for him, when he got there it was filled with kids to busy with their own lives to notice him.

He scanned the room, it wasn't too hard to find Volt - the only other guy in the room without his school uniform. Next to him was an empty chair, so Yuda walked to it, hopping over a few chairs when necessary. By the time he got to his seat, the room had been silenced. As everyone sat down, Yuda noticed that Martin, stood at the front with the rest of the 'best pupils' was staring at him. Yuda flipped the guy off again, and could tell the remark about it having no effect on him was a lie. With another scowl, the kid turned away from him and sat down.

Now that the student body had settled, Principal Gray assumed his regular position in the front and centre, facing everyone. The assembly was just like any other, Gray droned on about school happenings and such. Yuda almost fell asleep; not getting any sleep the night before would do that to you. Just as Yuda was about to nod off completely, Gray started another speech; the subject of which interested Yuda immediately.

"Now, the last item on the agenda is for all you dueling fans." Gray said, Yuda opened his eyes and sat up straight. "Now I have to preface this by saying please be aware of spoilers if you hadn't caught up on the Country Duel Tournament. Everyone clear? Okay then. For those who did watch the tournament, you will know that Saxon Lithman, son of Stone City mayor Rodger Lithman won. It is a great honour for someone so close to win something so prestigious. In order to celebrate his victory, Saxon will be visiting the nearby towns and cities in order to participate in special exhibition matches. This, of course, includes our great village which he will be visiting sometime next week." Gray explained. Yuda's mouth dropped open.

"Bro, that's fucking awesome!" Volt sort-of whispered.

"Saxon's coming here?" Yuda repeated, struggling to contain his excitement.

"It is my great honour to announce, that the duelist participating in that exhibition match with Mr. Lithman will be one of you!" Gray continued. "Therefore, in order to determine which of you will get the chance, there will be a sign-up sheet just outside the main hall. Put your names down and then tomorrow, we will pick two names out of a bowl. Those two students will duel next lunch time, and the winner will get the privilege of facing Saxon. Now, I believe that is all. As always, have a fun and productive day." Gray concluded. The room promptly filled with noise again, as the students stood up and began to fill out.

It took a few seconds for Yuda to comprehend everything he had just heard. He didn't have to think of some complicated plan to infiltrate Stone City and confront Saxon. All he had to do was wait for Saxon to come to him. It was almost too good to be true. 

Volt, of course, broke Yuda out of his concentration. "C'mon dude, stop daydreaming! We gotta sign you up for that duel tomorrow!" He said.

"Hell yeah!" Yuda nodded with determination. By the time the two sprung into action, the main hall had been deserted. They started to make their way to the exit as well, before they were stopped by Principal Gray. "Mr. Kuro and Mr. Grom." He said, disappointed.

"Uh... yeah?" Yuda said.

"Do I need to be the one to point out that you both are lacking your uniforms?" Gray muttered.

"Oh, yeah about that."

"I don't need to hear an explanation, it's probably just going to be a lame excuse anyway. Just see that it doesn't happen again... Oh, and as punishment, you two can help clear the chairs away." The two boys sighed.

"But we gotta get Yuda's name on that sign-up sheet!" Volt cried out. Gray was almost taken aback.

"Wait a second... you want the chance to duel Mr. Lithman?" He questioned.

"Of course! It's... well it's very important to me." Yuda admitted.

"Whether or not it's important is irrelevant. It isn't happening." Gray said.

"What? Why not?"

"Do you honestly think I'd let you represent our school, with potentially the eyes of the nation on us for the first time in forever? I say this in the best way possible, but that would be embarrassing."

"That's unfair!" Yuda said.

"I'm sorry but my hands are tied." Gray said, waving his hands around. "If I see your name on that sign-up sheet, I will have to personally remove it. So when you're done here, head straight to class and don't think about signing up." He warned, before leaving the hall. Yuda huffed and kicked a chair.

"Hey, so the Principal's an asshole, what a surprise!" Volt said, raising his voice ever so slightly so that Gray wouldn't hear him.

"Well now what?" Yuda wondered.

"Hey bro, don't worry about it. We'll think of something." Volt patted Yuda on the shoulder, before the two of them started putting all of the chairs away.

"Well now we're gonna be late for class, so I'm gonna get into even more trouble." Yuda sighed as he put the last chair away.

"Well there's nothing we can do about that! Hey, should we check out that sheet anyway?" Volt asked.

"I don't see why not." Yuda nodded. The two boys then finally left the main hall. On their way down the school's right corridor, they stopped and turned around. Sure enough, posted on the important messages board on the wall, was a sheet. 'Saxon Lithman exhibition match' was printed on the top, and below it a list of names. "Look, Martin put his name down. Heh, figured that prick would want to start sucking up to Saxon as soon as possible." Yuda said.

"Yeah, of course we aren't gonna let him." Volt chuckled.

"But how exactly are we gonna put my name down without Principal Dick scribbling it out?" Yuda asked.

"Hey don't worry about it. I've got a few ideas running around in my head." Volt winked.

"Will they get us in trouble?"

"Nah, well maybe but not if we're sneaky about it. Let's come back at the end of the day, see if the sheet gets moved. Then I'll tell you my idea."

"Alright, sounds good to me." The two gave each other another fist-bump, before going about their separate ways. Similar to yesterday, the day carried on like any normal school day for Yuda, except for a few minor altercations with teachers about not wearing his uniform. Eventually, the final bell rang out, and the student body started making their way out of the school gates. Yuda and Volt met back up at the main entrance.

"Alright, so what now?" Yuda asked.

"Well now that it's the end of the day, hopefully Principal Dick will take down that sign up sheet. All we have to do is see what he does with it." Volt explained. Yuda nodded, and the two of them made their way past the final kids leaving the school, and towards the corridor.

Just as they were about to enter this corridor, they spotted Principal Gray through the door window. He looked at the sign list, and took it from the wall. The two boys quietly followed the principal as he walked, eventually entering his office. Making sure no-one could see them, they crouched down and looked through the office door window.

There, they saw Gray take out a pair of scissors from his drawer; he cut out the names on the sheet, so that each name was not a separate piece of paper. Gray then took a jar from his desk and placed each name inside of it. Finally, he placed the jar back onto his desk. Feeling like he was finished and about to leave his office, the two boys quickly left the window and hid behind one of the lockers protruding from the office's corridor. Sure enough, Gray walked out of his office, and locked the door behind him. He then left the corridor, making his way out of the school.

"Awesome! I definitely have an idea now." Volt smiled.

"What the fuck are we supposed to do? We can't break in!" Yuda said.

"Yo, leave it all to me. All we gotta do now is wait until tonight, when the school has completely shut down, then we can spring my plan into motion!"

"Alright..." Yuda said, unconvinced.

"C'mon bro, don't you trust me?" Volt whimpered.

"You know I do!" Yuda smiled. The two then made their way out of the school. In order to do so, they passed by another corridor. Just as they were about to leave they heard another voice call out to them.

"Hey guys," Nina said. The two turned and faced her.

"Ah, hey Nina."

"What are you two doing here?"

"W-Well, we could ask you the same!" Volt said.

"Well duh, it's Dragon Ninja night tonight. Like it is every week." She explained.

"Ah, of course."

"The Game Master has just left us on a cliffhanger, again! Just as we were going to defeat the Evil Shogun Wolf, and his Warbeasts! I spent the whole first hour practicing my magic ready for the fight, but Allan spent that time chasing a pair of goblins that ripped us off a few sessions ago. That guy is obsessed with them, it's quite concerning really." Nina carried on talking, and the two boys just looked at her.

"Oh dang, I'm waffling aren't I?" She blushed. "Anyway! You didn't answer my question!"

"Oh, well you know about this exhibition match with Saxon."

"Of course! How wonderful is that? Now you've got a chance to talk to him about your sister!" Nina smiled.

"Well, it's a bit more complicated than that. Principal Dick has banned me from putting my name down, some shit about not letting me represent the school." Yuda scoffed.

"I see..."

"But! But, I have a plan!" Volt chimed in.

"Okay, now I'm really worried." Nina frowned.

"Hey! Seriously don't sweat it, I've got a foolproof plan to get Yuda's name into that jar in Gray's office."

"If you insist, just be careful yeah?" Nina turned to Yuda, "I seriously don't know how much patience the principal has left for you two."

"I know, that you for caring, but I don't think we'll get this chance to confront Saxon again! We have to take this opportunity!" Yuda said, determined.

"Yeah, I understand. Good luck you two." Nina said, before turning and heading back into the classroom she and her friends use for their game. She stopped at the door. "Oh, and Yuda, Jerry wanted me to say hi... So, well hi!"

"Oh, uh Hi back then." Yuda chuckled, as Nina left his view. The two boys then finally made their way out of the school. The sun was setting once again. As they started walking down that familiar path, Yuda stopped.

"Ah fuck..." He muttered.

"What's up?"

"I just remembered, my fucking parents and that argument we had... I really don't wanna go home right now."

"Then don't, come over to my place. You can even stay the night. We'll get your things after your shit-ass parents have gone to sleep." Volt suggested.

"That actually sounds like a good idea." 

"Ah, see. Told you I was full of 'em. And it won't be the last, I promise." Volt said. The two of them then made their way to his house. They then spent the rest of the evening playing games, watching TV, and grabbing some food from the kitchen. Soon enough, the world outside had gone quiet again, and the moon shone over the hills.

"So, isn't it time we got moving?" Yuda asked Volt, whom he had cuddled up next to on the bed.

"Ah shit, yeah. Right, first things first, let's get your clothes and shit from your bedroom. Then we can head back to school." Volt said.

"Uh, but the school will be shut tight by now."

"You think I don't know that? Trust me bro, I know a special way in!"

"Wait, you do?"

"Hell yeah, now c'mon let's go!" Volt leapt from the back of the bed, accidentally pushing Yuda off of him, causing him to fall of the bed. "Ah shit, sorry bro." He said sheepishly, before helping him up. The two then made their way out of Volt's house, and up to Yuda's. The lights were all out. Yuda gestured for Volt to wait outside, before he made the climb up to his window.

Once inside his bedroom, Yuda quickly grabbed his school bag, and stuffed a school uniform, plus a few extras into it. He then passed by his desk to pick up his duel disk, which was sat by his bed. He glanced over to his desk and stopped for a second, before muttering under his breath. He took his glasses from the table and put them on, before grabbing a piece of paper and a pen. Despite everything that had happened, it would still be a good idea to leave his parents a note, to say where he was. Last thing he wanted was for them to think he had disappeared forever as well, and so they would start pretending they had no children.

"Staying with Volt for the night." He wrote, nice and simple. He took the pin and placed the little sign on the front of his bedroom door. With everything packed and ready, Yuda picked up and zipped up his school bag, and made his way back outside. As he was climbing down from his window; for some reason he couldn't find his footing. "Shit!" He sort-of yelled, as he fell from the piping he was holding onto. He fell down, but instead of being met with a hard thud, he landed on something soft. He soon realized he was in Volt's arms.

"Woah, shit bro. Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yeah, just fell. Nothing major." Yuda looked at Volt, embarrassed.

"Wait... shit, why don't you wear your glasses more often bro? Makes you look well sexy!" Volt smiled. Yuda cringed, he forgot to take off his glasses and place them back.

"Ugh... could you put me down?" He asked.

"Nah, fuck that! This is too romantic!" Volt laughed. Yuda didn't bother to struggle his way out, too embarrassed to do anything. Volt continued to carry him all the way back to his house, the two of them trying to laugh as quietly as possible. Eventually they made it to his front door.

"Alright, now you have to put me down."

"I said, fuck that!" Volt claimed, before trying to navigate his hands so that he could carry Yuda and open the door. Unfortunately for him, this was impossible, so he acquiesced and put Yuda down. Now he was free from Volt's grasp, Yuda quickly took off his glasses and put them in his pocket, much to Volt's dismay. Volt then opened the door, and Yuda ran to his bedroom to place his bag down.

"Right, that's step one. Now what?" Yuda asked.

"Now we had back to school!" Volt said. Yuda gave him a confused look, before shrugging. "Ah, before that, we gotta write your name on something." He said.

"I got this." Yuda reached into his pocket, and took out the pen along with another scrap of paper. Reluctantly, he put his glasses back on, earning a whistle from Volt. He gave his friend a light punch in the shoulder, before writing down his name. He carefully ripped the name from the rest of the paper, and put everything down.

"Right, now back to school!" Volt commanded. 

At the very back of Appleda's school, was a forest, which extended out from the village. With the door closed behind them, the two boys walked down the rest of the hill; and towards this forest. Double checking to make sure no-one was around, they walked around the school gates and into the forest. Volt quickly led Yuda to the back wall of the school which faced the forest. There, Yuda saw a small but enter-able hole.

"Voila! Our way in!" 

"How did you know this existed?" Yuda questioned.

"Well when I'm lucky enough to score some of the good stuff from Jake after his trips to the city, this is where we do the deal. Literally zero people come around here." Volt explained.

"Right, well how do we get into Principal Dick's office?"

"That's easy, he always keeps one of his window's unlocked."

"Seriously? Why?"

"I don't know, some shit about letting air into the room. Anyway, follow me!" Volt crawled through the hole and into the school grounds, before ushering Yuda to do the same. Now that they had successfully infiltrated the school, they carefully crawled over to just outside Gray's office. Volt quickly found the slightly open window, and pulled it open a bit more.

"They really should think about beefing up security in this place." Yuda muttered as he climbed inside. The coast clear, he took out his name and slipped it into the jar. He ruffled around the contents a bit, so his paper wouldn't stick out so much.

"Awesome shit bro! Now we just gotta hope you get picked!" Volt smiled.

"Well I made the paper with my name on it a bit bigger than the others, so that should increase the chances of him taking it out!" Yuda said.

"Hell yeah, now let's get outta here!" Volt ushered Yuda towards him, and helped him climb back outside. Their night-time mission complete, the two boys finally headed back to Volt's house.

"Thanks for the plan Volt, now I'm finally on track to finding my sister." Yuda breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hey, no sweat dude. Things have been real shitty since Luna left, I wanna see you back to your usual self."

"Yeah, don't worry. Once we've found her. Things will get a lot better again" Yuda smiled.

"Well I don't wanna shit on your positivist parade, but it ain't over yet. We gotta get you picked, and then you have to defeat your opponent before you can face Saxon."

"Yeah I know, but the scary part is over. I'm pretty sure it's going to be smooth sailing from here on out."

"Hell yeah, that's what I like to hear!" Volt eagerly put his arm around Yuda and squeezed. Getting another laugh out of the boy. The two then finally walked back to Volt's house. With only a few hours left until sunrise, the two hopped onto Volt's bed. Volt stripped down to his underwear again and Yuda, realizing he had forgotten his pyjamas, did the same. He then yawned; with all the excitement today, he had completely forgotten that he's been awake for over 24 hours. He curled up to Volt, who put the duvet covers over the both of them; and went straight to sleep.


End file.
